Ch. 5 Flashcards

Trojan War Legendary 10 year war fought by the Mycenaeans against Troy during the 1200s B.C.

Homer The blind storyteller who composed the Illiad and gave us knowledge during the Dorian Age.

Polis The main political unit in ancient Greece a city-state made up of a city and its surrounding countryside.

Direct Democracy Government in which citizens participate directly in political decision making without representatives.

Classical Art Its standards come from the values of harmony, order, balance and proportion used by Greek sculptors.

Aristotle The Greek philosopher who summarized most knowledge up to his time and developed a type of logical argument.

Alexander the Great A pupil of Aristotle, he conquered lands from Greece to the Indus Valley from 336 B.C. to 323 B.C.

Hellenistic A term for the blend of Greek, Egyptian, Persian and Indian culture that emerged from Alexander’s conquests.

A narrative poem that celebrates heroic deeds. Epic A narrative poem that celebrates heroic deeds.

Myth A story about gods, such as the stories created by the Greeks as a way to understand nature and human passions.

Acropolis A fortified hilltop in the Greek city-states where citizens could gather to discuss city government.

Monarch A form of government in which a king rules, usually inheriting the throne from a relative.

Aristocracy A government controlled by a small group of noble, landowning families.

A government ruled by a few wealthy and powerful people. Oligarchy A government ruled by a few wealthy and powerful people.

Socrates He developed a question and answer approach to teaching and believed in absolute standards for truth and justice.

Helots Peasants who were forced to stay on the land they worked, such as the Messenians under Sparta.

Phalanx A battle formation in which foot soldiers stood side by side, holding overlapping spears and shields.

Persian Wars The wars between Greece and the Persian Empire that lasted from 490 to 479 B.C.

Peloponnesian Wars The war between Sparta and Athens (431-404 B.C.) that ended Athenian empire, wealth, and power.

Philosopher A Greek “lover of wisdom” or a thinker who is determined to seek the truth.